Airstrike Targeting 'Jihadi John' Offers Jim Foley's Mother No Solace

By Polly Mosendz, Newsweek

14 November 15

he mother of murdered American journalist James Foley says it is “sad” the U.S. is putting its resources into exacting revenge, after she was notified by FBI officials late Thursday evening that her son's killer had been targeted in an airstrike.

Foley was beheaded by Mohammed Emwazi, an executioner with the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), known by the moniker "Jihadi John." A video released by the group last August showed Foley in his last moments, and an image of his beheaded body was shown later. The group released similar videos of American journalist Steven Sotloff and aid workers Abdul-Rahman Kassig, David Haines and Alan Henning.

Emwazi was reportedly targeted by an airstrike in Raqqa, Syria, but it was unclear on Friday afternoon if he was killed or injured in the attack.

The strike does not give Diane Foley solace, however. In an interview with ABC News, she said, "It saddens me that here in America...we're celebrating the killing of this deranged, pathetic young man."

Speaking of the man who killed her son, she said, "It's just so sad that our precious resources have been concentrated to seek revenge, if you will, or kill this man when if a bit of them had been utilized to save our young Americans."

She added, "That's what our country should be doing, I think, is protecting our citizens and the vulnerable, the people who are suffering, not trying to seek revenge and bomb. Jim would've been devastated with the whole thing. Jim was a peacemaker. He wanted to know how we could figure out why, why all this is happening."

Asked if justice had been served by targeting Emwazi, Foley said it had not, adding that she doesn't like "this bully part" of America. She said she hopes the nation can lead in a peaceful manner.